In a 2003 interview with the Daily Press, Bob Lerner acknowledged that from an early age he was “absolutely fascinated with the magic of pointing a camera.”

The magic that he made took him around the world, photographing dignitaries, celebrities and ordinary people for Look Magazine and other publications. The acclaimed photographer, who settled in York County in 1999, died on Jan. 28 at age 92.

Three decades after Look ceased publication, the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk refocused interest on Mr. Lerner’s work with a retrospective exhibit appropriately titled “A Lens to the World.” Brooks Johnson, who curated that show, said he was impressed right away when Mr. Lerner showed him his photographs.

“The nature of photography is that anyone can make a great photograph at some point, but the trick is to keep making them,” said Johnson, who has since retired. “You always judge the full body of work, and when I saw his body of work I knew it was special. It turned out to be a huge show for the Chrysler, very popular.”

The show, also collected in a book produced by the museum, brought new exposure to Mr. Lerner’s career in photojournalism.

Introduced to photography as a child growing up in Milwaukee, Mr. Lerner won contests and found a mentor in Frank Scherschel of Life Magazine. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he returned home and began his fledgling professional career.

From 1951-71, Mr. Lerner shot for Look, a magazine that emphasized photography and had a peak circulation of almost 8 million. He claimed to have shot not only in all 50 states, but in 50 countries on five continents.

Among his famous images were Robert Kennedy meeting with coal miners in West Virginia and baseball legend Satchel Paige gazing out across a stadium — but he also could capture images that told the stories of ordinary men, women and children.

Courtesy of Chrysler Museum

Photographer Bob Lerner captured this image of Robert F. Kennedy campaigning for his brother in 1960, talking with coal miners in West Virginia.

Photographer Bob Lerner captured this image of Robert F. Kennedy campaigning for his brother in 1960, talking with coal miners in West Virginia. (Courtesy of Chrysler Museum)

Seth Feman, the current curator of exhibitions and photography at the Chrysler, said the museum has more than 100 of Lerner’s prints in its collection. He said the museum staff currently is trying to develop a plan about how to pay tribute.

“The thing that really struck me from the moment I met him was his ability to tell a story,” Feman said. “He could captivate you with the story he was telling you. Right up to the end, he knew every detail of every photo — what was happening outside the frame at the time, what led up to it, what followed. His photos invited you into an entire narrative world. A lot of photos distill a moment, remove it from time, but Bob’s photos would keep telling you a complete story in its context.”

Ten times, Mr. Lerner’s images ran on the cover of Look.

After the magazine ceased publication in the early 1970s, Mr. Lerner stayed busy as a commercial photographer, contracted by the biggest corporations and agencies.

He and his wife, Dainie, settled in Florida with their four children. After his wife’s death, he moved to York County in 1999 to be closer to his daughter, Sally Lindsay. During his years in Virginia he taught photography — “the art of seeing,” he called it — and found new subjects to shoot, particularly along Granby Street in Norfolk.

Lindsay said in his later years, her father spent a lot of time using modern technology to create improved prints of his work, which he then organized by subject matter. He also wrote down the stories of each photograph in his portfolio.

“My father never believed in retiring, so I think that’s why he lived so long,” Lindsay said. “He was working right up until the week before he passed. He knew the story behind every picture — not the technical details of how it was shot, but really interesting stories about the relationship with the people in the photos.”